An easier journey to adoptive parenthood.

Adoption is many things – a blessing, an unexpected joy, even a dream come true. But most fundamentally, it is a legal process.

The adoption process has major legal consequences for adoptive mothers and fathers, birth parents, and the children exchanged between them. During an adoption, you may need to deal with the laws of multiple jurisdictions. And the process can last anywhere from several months to several years, making long-term planning essential.

That’s just the beginning of why you need a good attorney to manage the legal aspects of your adoption, from the planning stage until the final order is entered in court.

Hiring a savvy adoption attorney is your best bet for ensuring a legal, low-risk, financially sound, and sustainable adoption that places the right child in your home in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Where can you find a dependable adoption attorney capable of getting the job done? If you or your prospective child lives in Harris or Montgomery County near Houston, Texas, Fuentez Law is an excellent starting point.

Adoptive parents…

As an experienced adoption attorney near Houston, Fuentez Law can make the process of adopting a child in Texas easier, quicker, and more responsive to your priorities.

I help adoptive parents who want to pursue an independent adoption. In the typical private placement adoption, the birth parents and adoptive parents each have their own attorneys.

I also recommend my services to families who plan to work with an adoption agency. More information about these services can be found on this page.

What kinds of Texas adoptions do I manage?

Voluntary public and private adoptions
Stepparent, grandparent, and other in-family adoptions
Contested adoptions of endangered children
Adoption through Child Protective Services (CPS)
Domestic partner adoptions
Adoptions of kids with special needs

For more details and personalized advice, give me a call for a brief consultations over the phone as well as affordable in-person Q&A sessions.

Birth parents…

Fuentez Law is also available to birth mothers and/or fathers in Texas who need to place their child for adoption and terminate their parental rights, challenge an adoption in the works, or get useful and information and sound advice before making a decision.

Read on to learn more about my services for adoptive families and birth parents.

A. Personalized Services for Adoptive Families

A Smoother Road to Adoptive Parenthood

The adoption process in Texas is long and complex.

Adoption is a happy event, but the process leading up to it is rarely easy or complication-free. If you want to successfully adopt a child, it’s a smart idea to proactively minimize the associated legal and financial risks. And the easiest way to do that is in partnership with a knowledgeable attorney.

If you are still in the planning stages of an adoption, the best thing you can do at this critical juncture is retain an honest and dependable adoption attorney. You will be able to lean on their experience and insights throughout the journey that lies ahead.

As a seasoned adoption lawyer based in Spring, Texas near Houston, I can help adoptive parents with:

Termination of the birth parents’ rights, including notification of missing birth fathers and representation in your termination proceedings
Personalized adoption plan preparation
Birth family communications and records
Protection of your financial investment
Pre- and post-placement counsel and assistance
Eligibility and compliance with state law
Documentation management, including court orders, birth certificates, hospital release paperwork, et al.
Court representation in final adoption proceedings

What if full adoption isn’t right for you right now?

See me for a rundown of the alternatives to adoption in Texas:

Kinship care
Volunteer care
Foster care
Permanent Managing Conservator (long-term foster care)
Guardianship

Why Ms. Fuentez? The Benefits.

How are my services different from those of other adoption lawyers near Spring and greater Houston?

I have extensive experience and training in the many facets of Texas adoptions. In addition to high-quality legal counsel tailored to your adoption goals, as my client you can enjoy:

A Better Adoption Plan

The adoption process is different for every family. That’s why you need a good adoption plan – one that organizes the process of matching and placing a child based on your preferences.

A good adoption plan is an essential tool for achieving your personal adoption goals.

My professional adoption services include the custom design of a thorough and legally compliant personal adoption plan. Your plan will account for reality; your needs, wishes and goals; the law; and all expenses considering your family’s adoption budget.

Together, we will create a roadmap that gives you more control over the terms of your adoption.

More Service for the Money

Many busy lawyers do only the bare minimum for each of their clients, despite charging top dollar.

Fuentez Law isn’t like that. Here, we have an intentionally small caseload and affordable attorney fees. It’s how we make sure you get as much attention and counsel as you need – without breaking the bank.

Less Adoption Risk

Before you pursue an adoption, you need comprehensive, individually relevant information in order to reduce your risks. And you need it before you entrust your hard-earned money and heartfelt aspirations to a birth family or adoption agency.

I can help you minimize the legal and financial risks associated with adoption by keeping you informed about your rights and options. I also help my clients spot adoption scams, set up secure escrow accounts, and access useful expense management, tax and insurance resources.

Most of the adoption pitfalls I see come from failed engagements with unscrupulous birth parents and adoption agencies. Don’t head into an adoption without your armor. A sharp family lawyer makes all the difference.

Total Legitimacy Under the Law

Few people realize how easy it is to break Texas law in the process of setting up an adoption.

Dozens of seemingly obscure statutes are applicable to each step of the process. There can be criminal consequences for missteps like paying too much money to the birth family or failing to properly notify the birth father.

How do you protect against legal liability that could threaten the fragile stability of your new family?

If you live near Houston, Texas, the answer could be Fuentez Law. I am well-versed in state adoption law and can help you stay within the bounds of the relevant statutes, while exercising the full extent of your rights. It’s basic legal protection at its best.

Choose Fuentez Law so your adoption goes off without a legal hitch.

More Emotional Intelligence

In an adoption, delicate feelings and relationships co-exist alongside the legal logistics. That’s why adoptive family planning requires not only legal, but emotional intelligence.

I know a lot about the human side of adoption. My experience in this area has provided me a solid foundation of emotional intelligence my clients can use to make more informed decisions. You’ll always know how a decision is likely to affect bonding and attachment further down the road.

Agency Adoptions: Why retain Fuentez Law for your agency adoption?

Adoptive parents working through an adoption agency don’t always retain an attorney to manage the adoption process. But some do. These are the people who know the value of having a genuine advocate with no agenda other than your family’s best interests. Here’s why that’s important.

Despite appearances, private adoption agencies are not objective.

The private adoption industry has grown into a large and profitable business. Wherever there is a pending adoption, you can be sure the adoption agency has a dog in the fight. Private adoption agencies cannot be unbiased because their bottom line forbids it. Consequently, they are likely to advise you and prepare contractual agreements with their own best interests in mind, not yours.

In an adoption, access to objective facts and candid, unbiased advice is critical. That’s why hiring a trustworthy attorney could be the smartest decision you make if you decide to go through an adoption agency.

Support Services for Agency Adoptions

In addition to objective information and unbiased counsel, I offer several agency adoption support services you can use to optimize your outcomes:

Agency contract negotiation and/or review
Legal eligibility and home study compliance
Your pre-placement options
Paperwork preparation and filing
Termination of parental rights
Post-placement follow-up and counseling
Final adoption proceedings in court
Post-adoption communication and contact arrangements, if any, with the birth family

At Fuentez Law, my only agenda is to provide the resources you need to make your own choices and control your own destiny as an adoptive parent.

Many agencies will quietly limit your choices and apply pressure to get the outcome they want. Don’t surrender control to an agency with an agenda. When you work with an adoption agency, protect your interests by hiring a trustworthy local adoption attorney.

Live in Harris or Montgomery County near Houston, Texas? Fuentez Law can be reached at (713) 397-2278, 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

B. Empowering Services for Birth Parents

Placing your child for adoption

If you are considering placing your child for adoption, I commend you for having the guts to consider all your options and strive to make the right decision in a difficult situation.

It’s important to get quality legal advice as early as possible in the adoption process.

My name is Sandra Fuentez. My job is to help birth parents understand all their options and rights, what to expect from the adoption process, and which laws apply to their situation.

You can have a fair, legal, ethical, and informed adoption.

Birth mothers and fathers have long struggled to assert their rights in the adoption system. Knowing this bleak history of disrespect and heartbreak has taught me the importance of having a 100% ethical, transparent, and informed adoption plan that empowers birth parents.

Choose Fuentez Law so you can be sure:

Your wishes for your child are respected.
You know your rights as a birth parent.
Your voice is heard in court proceedings.
You are informed about the relinquishment of your parental rights.
You know your options for changing your mind.
You understand the role of the birth father.

As a birth parent, you deserve an adoption plan that meets your needs and takes into account your preferences and top concerns. As you personal attorney, I will help you design an adoption plan that does you and your child justice.

If you are considering placing your child for adoption, call Fuentez Law to set up a consultation.

Fighting an adoption

If you are facing involuntary termination of your parental rights or need to stop an adoption in the works, you will need surefire assistance right away. Texas judges take a biological parent’s rights seriously, but it is possible to lose your kids permanently.

For help fighting an adoption in Harris or Montgomery County near Houston, Texas, call Fuentez Law.

A word from adoption advocate Sandra Fuentez

In Texas, a final adoption is truly final. It cannot be revoked as long as it was handled properly, by law. If you want to adopt in Texas, your best bet for ensuring an irrevocable adoption is an experienced and detail-oriented adoption attorney who can make it happen.

If you want to adopt in either Harris or Montgomery County in southeast Texas, Fuentez Law can be that attorney for you. I help local aspiring adoptive parents launch their new family with minimal risk, no loose ends, and zero unwanted surprises.

Let’s work as a team to achieve the best possible outcome for your budding family.

With the legal side of your adoption covered by a trusted adviser, you’ll be free to focus on being a good parent as you welcome the newest member of your family into your home.

My personalized adoption services depend on your adoption goals. What can I do for you? Come in for an affordable first meeting and let me know. It’s the simplest way to find out if you can use my experience and intuition in this complex area of state law.

Call me when you’re ready. (713) 397-2278

Sandra Fuentez

Disclaimer | Please note that the information on this page is intended to provide a general introduction to the matters discussed. It is not a substitute for professional legal advice. For legal advice tailored to your unique situation, contact an attorney. Fuentez Law can be reached at (713) 397-2278.

Adoption